By Councillor David Dean, Merton Council (Conservative, Dundonald ward)

At the Council’s budget meeting in March the Merton Park Independent councillors happily seconded a Labour motion to extend Controlled Parking Zones in their own ward from five days to six days, including Saturdays.

The Conservatives voted against this motion but it is a matter of public record that Councillors Southgate, Forbes and Sergeant actively seconded and voted for it.

Had they abstained, the motion would have been thrown out.

Now the Merton Park councillors have delivered their latest newsletter stating: "The Council’s budget proposal to extend the CPZ to Saturdays is subject to consultation.

"Imposing parking charges simply to raise money rather than control congestion would not be justified and we shall be watching and engaging fully in the consultation process."

This latest piece of party political propaganda from the Merton Park 'Independents' is misleading, to say the least.

All three Merton Park councillors worked with their Labour colleagues to actively propose a budget that depends upon weekend parking charges being introduced.

The whole consultation would have been avoided if the Merton Park Councillors had stood with the Conservatives and voted this dreadful policy down.

For them to now suggest that they are innocent by-standers with an interest in the outcome of the consultation on the issue is absurd.

What really irks me is that these so called Independent Councillors are siding with the Labour party in the council chamber then claiming the opposite in their newsletter.

Their own website suggests previous councillors lost their seats when they ignored the views of Merton Park residents. It is advice they would do well to heed.

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